Buffalo wings are undeniably the life of many gatherings, but buffalo shrimp is a delightful twist you need to try. You keep the crispy, crunchy coating and bold buffalo flavor, but the tender shrimp inside gives the dish a lighter, seafood-forward profile that feels indulgent and fresh at the same time.
Picture the perfect bite: crisp romaine as the base, a crunchy cabbage slaw layered on top, then golden-fried shrimp coated in a spicy buffalo sauce. Finish with a generous drizzle of creamy homemade ranch, and you’ve got a snack or meal that’s messy, satisfying, and utterly craveable.
This version is adapted for keto, paleo, and Whole30 preferences by swapping regular flour for almond flour. The process is straightforward: dip peeled and deveined shrimp in beaten egg, coat them in seasoned almond flour, and fry in avocado oil until golden and crisp. The buffalo sauce is equally simple—just hot sauce and butter (use ghee for Whole30)—heated together and whisked until smooth.
Once the shrimp are tossed in buffalo sauce, assemble the lettuce wraps by filling romaine leaves with coleslaw mix, topping with three sauced shrimp, and finishing with a generous drizzle of ranch. For extra crispiness, keep the shrimp and sauce separate and toss only the shrimp you’re about to eat so they stay crunchy.
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5 from 1 review
- Author: Annie Chesson
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 oz shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (we like Frank’s)
- 6 tablespoons butter (ghee if whole 30)
- A few hearts of romaine lettuce
- 4 cups (ish) coleslaw mix (white cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots)
- Homemade ranch (store-bought works too)
Instructions
- Heat about 1/2 inch of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Set up a breading station: in one bowl combine beaten eggs with salt and pepper; in another bowl mix almond flour with salt and pepper. Dip each shrimp in the egg, let excess drip off, then coat thoroughly in the almond flour.
- Fry the shrimp in batches until deeply golden brown on both sides, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- While frying, warm the hot sauce in a saucepan until slightly simmering.
- Add the butter in small pieces, whisking until fully combined; set the buffalo sauce aside.
- To assemble a lettuce wrap, place about 1/4 cup coleslaw mix into a romaine leaf, top with 3 shrimp, and finish with a generous drizzle of ranch.
Notes
For extra crispness, keep most shrimp unsauced and only toss the few you plan to eat immediately in buffalo sauce right before assembling the wraps. This preserves the crunchy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 lettuce leaves, 1/2 cup coleslaw, 6 shrimp, 1/4 cup ranch
- Calories: 606
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fat: 54 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
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Looking for more shrimp ideas? Here are a few other simple, flavorful recipes to explore:
World’s Easiest Instant Pot Frozen Shrimp
Spicy Shrimp Bowls with Parmesan Quinoa and Garlic Kale
Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Lettuce Wraps